Launching device



Jan. 12, 1932. w. BARNETT LAUNCHING. DEVICE Filed Nov. 50, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR.

mum/w BARNETT j Mm ATTORNEYS.

Jan. 12, 1932. w. BARNETT LAUNCHING DEVICE 3. Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 30, 1929 I N VEN TOR. W/l. LIAM BA/f/VETZ' v Jan. 12, 1932. w BARNETT 1,840,804

LAUNCHING DEVICE Filed Nov. 30, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 I N VEN TOR. IV/t Z/AM BAR/V E Tr Patented Jan 12, 1932' 7 WILLIAM BARNETT, or 10s enemas, cALiroamA elem-Him fJEvIc j ApplicationfiledNovember 30,1929. Serial No. 410337.

This invention appertains to alife-saving device and more particularly to novel means for launching a life-boat from the deck of a M steam or like vessel. I Y 1 5 It has, heretofore, been proposed of launch. ing life and other boats from the side of a. vessel by suitable davits but such :appliances have not been successful' ini emergency cases 1n view of the fact that more than one io personis required to lower the boat a'ndthe' extreme dangerfrom ropes swellingiinwet weather so thatthey choke up the blocks and the freezing of the ropes in the blocks in 7, cold weather causing the tipping of the boat; I I5 and precipitating the -.pas sengers thereof into the water, and the danger of theboat being wrecked against the side of the-ship.

It is therefore one of the primary objects of'myinvention toprovide means forlaunchinga'life-boat from the deck of a steamer which will require only the service'of one man I e and which' will permit the effective launchin of'the' boat from the deck of a vessel a minimum amount'of-time.

25' Another object of my invention is to pro vide a'novel launching devicefor a life-boat of the type shown in my pending application executed on even dateherewith, the launch-- ing device consisting of inclined guideways so 7 ter from ofi of the deck of a steam vessel.

s A further object of my invention the' provision of a novel launching device for lifeboats Jincluding zinclined runways for the lifeboat whereby the boat willbe, slid off the deckof the vessel in an inclined'position and with considerable speed so that the life boat will dive into the water and away from v the side of the vessel owing to the momentum 40 thereof, and thus avoid the suction caused by the sinkingof the steamer.

A further object of my invention is to provide a launching device for the life-boat from the deck offal steamer in which thelife-boat 15' is supported in a novel manner wherein the boat will be free to float from the deck of the steamer. at all times should the; steamer sink before time was had to properly launch the life boat.

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'- for permittingthe boat'to' dive-'intothe wa A further 'important object of -inven tion is'the provision of a life-boat launching device embodying inclined ways leadin from the longitudinal center of the vesse toward the opposite sides thereof with 'a tiltable'platforin utilized for supporting the life-boat carried by the central portion of theway's with means for permitting the tilting of the platform toward one side of the vessel or the other, so that the life-boat will be permitted to slide off the platform and down the ways off of the deck of the vesseland into the water.

1A further object of my invention is'the provision of novel means for forming the platform and ways and thebottomof the life-boat so that the life-boat .will be eifectivelyguided'during its passage off of the platformfand ways, with: anti friction rollers for facilitating the easy and eifective riding of the boat down'theplatform and ways. Withthese and other objects in View, the.

invention consists in the novel construction,

arrangement and formation of parts, as will be hereinafter more specifically described,

claimed, and illustrated inthe accompanying v drawings, in which drawings "Figure l isa-fragmentar'y view of steam vessel in transverse section showing my im! proved boat and boat launching device incorporated therewith, the life-boat being held in its'normal position against accidental displacement. I

Figure 2 1s a similar view showing the platform tilted and the life-boat sliding down theways to be launched from the side of the vessel. i, V

' Figure 3 is a View. similar to Figure 2. showing a slightly modified form of launch ing device for relatively wideships. w Figured is an enlarged side elevation of my launchingdevice incorporated with; a

steamship, parts'-of-the launching device being shown broken away and in section, the life-boat being held'on the device against ac cidental'movement; f Figure 5 is a top plan View of my improved device with the life-boat removed therefrom. Figure 6 is a transverse section through the launching device and lifeboat taken on the line66 of Figure 4:. a

I one side of the ship or the other.

Figure 7 is a fragn'rentary top plan view of one end of one inclined way of the launching device showing the modified form thereof for relatively wide ships, and

Figure 8 is a fragmentary side elevation of the mooified form of the launching device for relatively wide ships.

Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 1 illustrating the form of my invention for narrow ships.

Figure 10 is a transverse section taken sub stantially on the line 10l0 of Figure 9, and

Figure 11 is a fragmentary longitudinal section taken on the line 1111 of Figure 10.

Referring to the drawin 's in detail, wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the letter A generally indicates my improved device for launching a life-boat B from the sides of a steamship C.

The steamship C will not be described in detail as the same is of the ordinary r any preferred type but it is to be noted that my launching device extends transversely of the top deck 10 thereof.

The life-boat B is of a particular type, and as stated, forms the subject matter of an independent appl cation for patent executed on even date herewith and this life-boat will not be described in detail in this application but it is to be noted that the same is of a diving type and that the same is so constructed that the same can be either launched from This lifeboat 13, as shown in Figure 6 of the drawings, includes a hall 15 having a central depending hollow keel 16 and a substantially flat bottom 17. Vi elded or otherwise secured to the flat bottom 17 on opposite sides of the keel 16 are auxiliary keels l8 and 19 which keels form guides for the life-boat B during the launching thereof. It is to be noted that the side keels l8 and 19 are of T-beam con struction with the leg flange depending from the bottom of the boat to form the guide.

My improved launching device A com prises the opposite extending downwardly inclined ways 20 and 21 and stated these ways extend from the longitudinal center of the ship at the top deck thereof toward the sides of the ship. These ways 20 and 21 are constructed identically the same and can be formed from suitable timbers 22 which can be bolted or otherwise secured to the central stateroom cabins ll of the ship C. The outcr lower ends of these timbers rest upon the deck ofthe ship and can be bolted or otherwise secured thereto. The meeting points of the timbers or metal slides are suitably bolted together and support upstanding central brackets 23, which brackets support above the ways and 21. the transversely extending shaft 2.1-. llockably mounted on the shaft 24 is a central platform 25 which inis to be noted that the boards 29 of the tilt ing platforms are arranged in spaced parallel relation to the boards 26 of the central platform 25 and that the side boards 29 beyond the ends of the platforms are pro vided with lateral extensions 30, which form a substantial continuation of the side boards 26 of the central platform 25.

The lateral extensions have their upper faces grooved as at 31 which grooves 31 align with the space between the side boards 29 of the tilting platforms 27 and 28 and the side boards 26 of the central platform 25. The upper faces of the lateral extensions 30 and the side boards 29 are preferably provided with anti-friction rollers 32, for a purpose, which will be later described.

The upper faces of the beams 22 of the inclined ways 20 and21 beyond the tilting platforms 27 and 28 are provided with guide tracks 33, which guide tracks extend to the extreme lower ends of said inclined ways. These tracks can be of a substantially U- shape in cross section and in all events, are provided with lon itudinally extending central grooves 34- which align with the grooves 31 in the tilting platforms. The upper faces of the tracks 33 on opposite sides of the grooves 34 are likewise provided with antifriction rollers 35.

As clearly shown in Figures 5 and 6 of the'drawings, the ends of the side boards 29 or rails of the tilting platforms 27 and 28 are connected together by transverse cross beams 36 which beams are provided with centrally disposed transverse V-shaped notches 37, for a purpose, which will be also later described.

The central tilting platform 25 is substantially balanced at all times, and the tilting platforms 27 and 28 are held in a raised horizontal position by the use of jacks 38 and 39 which extend from the deck 10 of the vessel to the transverse beam 36.

These jacks 38 and 39 can be of any preferred type, such as pneumatic jacks, screw jacks, or the like but in the present instance I have shown the jack of the rack and pinion type. I desire, however, that these jacks be so constructed that the same be quickly released by a single person so as to permit the tilting of the release side platform and this releasing means can be so arranged as to be operated from the life-boat, if desired.

Normally the life-boat B is placed on the boat launching device carried by the deck of the vessel including oppositely extending inclined ways, a central platform rockably mounted intermediate its ends at the upper ends of said ways, tilting end platforms rockably carried bythe upper ends of the inclined ways, and extending beyond the central platform and over the inclined Ways,said central platform and end platform being adapted to receive the boat to be launched, the inclined ways extending to the edgesof the vessel, and releasable jacks engaging the tilting end platforms adjacent to the outer terminals thereof, and extension tracks carried by the outer terminals of the inclined Ways for extending beyond the sides of the Vessel.

5. he combination with a vessel, of a launching device for life-b0ats comprising oppositely extending inclined Ways leading from the longitudinal center of the vessel to the sides thereof, brackets carried by the upper ends of the inclined Ways, a supporting shaft carried by the brackets and extending transversely of the inclined ways, a central rocking platform rockably mounted on the shaft intermediate its ends, end platforms rockably mounted on the shaft and extending beyond the ends of the central platform, guide tracks on the inclined ways beyond the outerterminals of the end tilting platforms, and releasable jacks engaging the end platforms adjacent to the opposite ends thereof for normally holding the same in a horizontal plane.

6. The combination with a Vessel, of a launching device for life-boats comprising oppositely extending inclined ways leading from the longitudinal center of the vessel to the sides thereof, brackets carried by the upper ends of the inclined ways, a supporting shaft carried by the brackets and extending transversely of the inclined ways, a central rocking platform rockably mounted on the shaft intermediate its ends, end platforms rockably mounted on the shaft and extending beyond the ends of the central platform, guide tracks on the inclined Ways beyond the outer terminals of the end tilting platforms, releasable acks engaging the end platforms adjacent to the opposite ends thereof for normally holding the same in a horizontal plane, and extension track-s slidably carried by the first mentioned track for extending beyond the deck of the vessel.

7. A launching device for boats, comprising an inclined way, a boat supporting tilting cradle rockably mounted upon said inclined way, an auxiliary end cradle forming an extension of said tilting cradle and constituting a continuation of the tilting cradle when the same is tilted, for launching a boat from said inclined Way.

8. A launching device for boats comprising an inclined way, a tilting cradle rockably mounted above said inclined Way, an auxiliary end cradle constituting an extension for said tilting cradle when the tilting cradle is extended, and releasable means engaging the' WILLIAM BARNETT. 

